“Not finance. Not strategy. Not technology. It is teamwork that remains the ultimate competitive advantage, both because it is so powerful and so rare.” -Patrick Lencioni

As a leader, you may have found yourself in a position where you have spent a considerable amount of time creating the perfect high-functioning, smart team. You made sure the right people were in the right roles, but what isn’t working? Your team of top performers isn’t performing together like you expected they would. Perhaps there is festering, unresolved conflict or team goals and initiatives aren’t being met. If this is the case, chances are that your team lacks trust. At ICC, we have facilitated extensive work with client organizations around the topic of trust, and through our experience and decades of research we know that ineffective teams are toxic in organizations. They miss their goals, lack results, prohibit growth, breed unhealthy conflict and make bad business decisions. In contrast, effective teams are productive, high-functioning, make better and quicker decisions, tap into all team members’ strengths and skills, avoid wasting time on politics and create a competitive advantage. If this sounds great in theory, but you are struggling with how to move from dysfunctional to cohesive, start by asking yourself the following questions:

Do team members trust you – the leader? If you as the leader are not trusted by your team, you will not inspire the members on it. Communicating effectively will ultimately deliver great business results. Leaders who are consistent, “walk the talk”, and build positive relationships are easier to trust.

While finding a new job can feel daunting, getting over the “grip” of putting yourself “out there” is manageable. Landing your next job involves four basic elements: Preparation – Planning – Presence – Persistence. These simple ideas are behavioral, effective and doable.

Many job seekers lack PREPARATION to succeed in their efforts. Much of the work that a Career Transition Coach provides to a client involves the PREPARATION of self-marketing skills (ie. your resume and cover letter), job market focus, self-awareness and interview confidence.

Finding work is work and all successful outcomes need PLANNING. Such behaviors involve a daily schedule of repeatable tasks. Structure is when and how a job seeker initiates, engages and follows-up on contacts — all of which require a simple PLAN – one that is followed repeatedly. This structure can relieve some of the anxiety that follows a period of career transition. One foot in front of the other – one task at a time.

The phrase: “It’s all about relationships” is critically relevant during a time of stressful change. This is particularly true with your PRESENCE and PERSISTENCE in job search activities. Every task or interaction, whether it be applying online, interacting with possible job ad referrals or talking on the phone via a virtual interview are all “moments of truth” – moments where being “real” and vitally aware of who you are and what is needed for this moment to work in your favor. Knowing yourself in an everyday environment as well as in

]]>https://innovateicc.com/four-basic-elements-of-an-effective-job-search/feed/0Social Media & The Job Search: Do I HAVE To Use It?https://innovateicc.com/social-media-the-job-search-do-i-have-to-use-it-2/
https://innovateicc.com/social-media-the-job-search-do-i-have-to-use-it-2/#respondTue, 01 May 2018 14:18:03 +0000https://innovateicc.com/?p=12020

“I’m a jobseeker but I’m not on social media… do I HAVE to use it in order to be successful in the job search?” This question is asked quite frequently, and to answer it simply… YES of course you do. LinkedIn, for example, has been around since 2002 and it doesn’t appear to be going anywhere anytime soon. For employers, social media offers a cost-effective, modern solution to sourcing talent. It’s true that a bad online profile can hurt your chances of landing a job, but when utilized appropriately, it can boost your resume to the top of the pile. Here are three simple tips for getting started:

Be Active… But Don’t Go Overboard: Choose one or two platforms and stick with them. If you suddenly find yourself in a job search and don’t have any social media accounts, don’t sign up for a Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr, Google+, Flickr and 10 other accounts today. The primary platform that you should focus on as a job seeker is LinkedIn. If you are already on LinkedIn and want to stretch out of your comfort zone, I’d encourage you to try Twitter or Facebook. My recommendation is to get to know one platform really well. Have a well-crafted profile, a current profile picture, follow new people weekly and engage with your network regularly and thoughtfully. It’s important to be fully committed to whichever platform you choose, so choose how many you participate in wisely. A little goes a long way here.

]]>https://innovateicc.com/social-media-the-job-search-do-i-have-to-use-it-2/feed/0STAYplacement: Using Career Coaching as a Retention Toolhttps://innovateicc.com/stayplacement-using-career-coaching-as-a-retention-tool-2/
Mon, 30 Apr 2018 18:39:00 +0000https://innovateicc.com/?p=11992The good companies to work for provide compassionate outplacement services when business needs dictate a reduction in force. The BEST companies to work for provide the same philosophy to keep their employees, especially high performers, from jumping ship and going to the competition.

In this one-hour complimentary webcast as they present on the critical elements to include in an internal career coaching initiative to maximize STAYplacement services as a retention tool.

]]>Adapting To And Managing The Only Thing That Is Constant: Changehttps://innovateicc.com/adapting-to-and-managing-the-only-thing-that-is-constant-change/
https://innovateicc.com/adapting-to-and-managing-the-only-thing-that-is-constant-change/#respondMon, 23 Apr 2018 20:59:41 +0000https://innovateicc.com/?p=11960

A few years ago when I was in the midst of a significant life change, I saw the movie Gravity, starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney. To my surprise, the movie impacted me deeply, though it took some time and reflection to understand exactly why. I thought I had flawlessly moved through my life change, but I could not dismiss the strong emotions brought up by the film. Through most of the story, Sandra Bullock’s character floats by herself in outer space, desperately trying to get home. I realized that her experience of being ‘untethered’ was exactly the way I was feeling too. I was no longer tethered to my old life, but neither was I quite tethered to a new life – I was floating somewhere in between in a space that felt extremely uncomfortable.

I know now that what I experienced as ‘untethered-ness’ is one of the core phases of change. Yet, during times of change, organizational leaders tend to devote most of their time and attention to the ‘new’ – the newly merged company, the new structure, cultural values, processes, ways of operating and so on. Most leaders recognize that communication is critical and go to great lengths to over-communicate about the desired state and how to get there. This is indeed valuable; however, there continues to be much more to the story.

In his book Transitions, William Bridges describes the underlying psychological process – the transition – that people go through during an organizational change. Whereas organizational change is an outward process, transition is the inward

]]>https://innovateicc.com/adapting-to-and-managing-the-only-thing-that-is-constant-change/feed/0The 5 Things That Should NEVER be Included in a Resumehttps://innovateicc.com/the-5-things-that-should-never-be-included-in-a-resume/
https://innovateicc.com/the-5-things-that-should-never-be-included-in-a-resume/#respondTue, 17 Apr 2018 15:42:06 +0000https://innovateicc.com/?p=11923

Throughout my career in corporate recruiting, executive search and career transition coaching, I have reviewed hundreds of resumes. As all job seekers should know, the resume is THE most important document in your portfolio. It can be the difference between getting the interview and the “thanks but no thanks” letter. As opposed to a job application, the resume is a marketing document and can be crafted to present your skills, strengths, experience and accomplishments in the very best light. It is customary to highlight more recent jobs, leave off less relevant positions and focus on the specific experience that fits the position for which you are applying. In summary, you are tailoring your resume for each position to maximize your chances for getting an interview.

Ideally, resumes should not be longer than two pages. With this space limitation in mind, the following 5 things should absolutely NOT be included in your customized marketing document:

An Objective – If you are applying for a specific job, the employer will assume you are interested and want the job. Objectives tell an employer what you want them to do for you, i.e. “A position that offers challenge and opportunity for advancement”. As a job seeker, you are not in the position to ask for anything. Instead, craft a short Summary of Qualifications coupled with a Key Skills/Strengths statement highlighting the value/contributions you can bring to their organization.

Photographs – Most companies do not want you to attach a photograph (unless you are applying for a

Are you tired of hearing the same “generational” speech over and over again including, “what’s wrong with Gen Y”, “how do you communicate with Gen Y?” Me too! No one hates this topic more than me – a millennial. Yes, we are entitled, hungry for responsibility and are job hoppers, but let’s get some perspective. The millennials are coming…

According to Time, by 2020 Generation Y will be the largest demographic and by 2025 researchers are projecting that three out of every fourth worker, globally, will be a millennial. Ah, this is the reason this speech is so commonplace, and why organizations should care about the expectations and demands of this generation.

Truth telling – there are so many stereotypes that surround the description of a millennial. Some are myths, misunderstandings and, of course, I am willing to admit that some of my peers do a respectable job of ensuring some of the stereotypes are proven true, but don’t be too quick to put everyone into the same box.

Rather than seeing the millennial population as fragile snowflakes who have an inflated sense of own uniqueness, let’s see this generation as a catalyst for change. This self-confidence and demand for bold requests are leading to radical changes in our work environments that will benefit the entire workforce.

There are three common characteristics that we can ascribe to the millennial population that impact our workplaces, including:

“Today you are YOU, that is TRUER than true. There is NO ONE alive who is YOUER than you!” ~ Dr. Seuss.

If you are in the market for a new job, a critical piece of the search is identifying your own personal brand. Creating a clear picture of what you do best is crucial in developing an effective job search campaign and landing your dream job.

Create a personal branding statement. Being able to boil down your ROI to 2-3 concise statements is critical to standing out amongst the candidate pool. This is an important section to include at the beginning of your resume, on your LinkedIn summary and as your elevator pitch when you are networking. This is not the time to be modest. Think of these 3 elements when creating your branding statement:

Function: what do you do best? Skills, innate talents and strengths.

Impact: why you do it? Motivators, passions and meaningful work.

Environment: where can you do it best? Values, culture, fit.

Define your accomplishment statements. Every resume includes a professional experience section and it’s an easy mistake to simply list the tasks and responsibilities held in each role. Instead, include 2 or 3 accomplishment statements per role to show the hiring manager what’s in it for them if they choose to hire you. Use the “CAR” format to structure your stories.

Challenge – Identify the background of a challenge, problem or situation you have faced. Be specific.

The time has arrived for you to make the move to your next great opportunity, and you are dreading the inevitable tough conversation advising your boss of your departure. Recognizing you want to keep the relationship in tact with your manager in addition to the entire company, you might ask yourself, “What do I say? When should I plan to leave? What if I’m asked to stay longer?” Let me share with you three hacks that with a little bit of thought and preparation can help you achieve the best of all outcomes.

What do I say?

In this situation, less is more. Your goal is to be concise, get to the point quickly and do so with confidence. Envision if you will, a 3×5 index card and assume this is your maximum allocated space to write the salient bullet points of your message. No more than 3 thoughts:

Begin by acknowledging something positive you’ve gained from your work or time spent with the organization. Careful word choice is essential if your boss is the reason for your decision.

Make the definitive statement that you are resigning as of a specific date. Two weeks is customary, or three weeks is appropriate for certain circumstances or roles. But beware, long drawn out farewells are not beneficial even with the best of intentions.

Lastly, end with a brief, rational reason why you’re giving notice. If you don’t do this while